Peanut Free Chewy Granola Bars

This recipe is copied and pasted from I Hear Exercise Will Kill You, with a couple of modifications.

I had a hard time getting my sauce to thicken the first time. I was not patient enough and did not wait long enough so my granola bars did not set like they should have but still tasted good. The second time I was patient and they turned out perfectly!

Peanut Free Chewy Granola Bars

1 cup coconut milk
1 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I found some dairy, soy and nut-free mini chocolate chips!)
3 cups brown rice Rice Crispies  (I used regular)
3 cups Quick oats

In a small sauce pan combine the coconut milk, maple syrup and vanilla.  Cook on medium high heat.  Stir continually.  If you have a TV in your kitchen, now would be a good time to use it to help pass the time.  After about 5 minutes of stirring the mixture will come to a boil...keep stirring.  After about 10 minutes the mixture might start to look kind of frothy...keep stirring.  After about 15 minutes the mixture might start to look a bit thicker as you are stirring on the bottom of the pan.  If this is the case it's time to test your mixture.  Drop a small drop of the mixture onto your stove.  If it looks really runny then you need to keep stirring with the heat on.  If the drop looks kind of rounded and a bit more solid then it might be done.  Let the drop cool for a few seconds and feel it with your finger.  If the drop feels kind of runny then put the mixture back on the heat and keep stirring for a few more minutes.  If the drop feels kind of like a light taffy then it is done. Remove the mixture from the heat and set aside for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.

In a large bowl mix your rice cereal and oats.  When the maple syrup mixture has cooled for about 5 minutes, poor it into the bowl with the oats and rice cereal.  Mix the syrup in really good.  Add in your mini chocolate chips or dark chocolate pieces.  Grease a 9x13 pan and spread your oats into the pan.  Press everything down really well.  Put the pan in the fridge for about 30 minutes to solidify everything.  Cut into the sizes that you want and store the bars in an airtight container.  Enjoy!